Serotypes of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease virus have a tendency to evolve

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is classified into seven distinct serological categories

Seminar entitled "An Update on the Global and Vietnamese FMD Situation. The Role of Aftogen Oleo in Controlling FMD in Vietnam from 2017 to 2023" was conducted in Hanoi earlier this November, providing livestock farmers and enterprises with new information.

In reference to the FMD situation in Asia, the Technical Director for the Asian region at Biogénesis Bagó, Argentina, Mr. Juver Membrebe, asserted that despite the absence of FMD virus in numerous nations globally, vaccine usage persists as a preventive measure. Vietnam has provided the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE/WOAH) with annual reports detailing the progress made in eradicating FMD. Certain nations that had previously eradicated the disease are currently awaiting certification after a recent resurgence; South Korea reported the most recent case in May 2023.

As per the assessment of this authority, FMD is presently classified into seven distinct serological categories, wherein circulating topotypes vary by region. O, A, and A1 are the three circulating topotypes in the Asian region.

"To control foot-and-mouth disease, the involvement of multiple parties is necessary, including the Government of Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Animal Health, local authorities, and our partners such as Amavet Animal Health Company, as well as livestock breeders," noted Mr. Juver Membrebe.

Increasingly, the circulating genotypes of the FMD virus are migrating between regions, whereas previously they were confined to a single area. In order to determine the efficacy of the vaccine, Mr. Juver Membrebe emphasized the significance of identifying the current strains as well as any newly invading strains.

Simply depending on a fixed-type vaccine designed for a particular topotype will not yield optimal results in terms of disease prevention. This requires the creation of a broad-spectrum vaccine that can provide protection against a variety of virus strains originating from distinct geographical areas.

Region 1 comprises nations such as China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as Indonesia and Mongolia. Within this region, type O variants including India2001, Cathay, SEA/Mya98, ME-SA/Pansia, and ME-SA/PanAsia-2 are prevalent. FMD epidemics in Vietnam have been attributed to the topotype O as of July 2023.

In order to safeguard against these strains, livestock caretakers necessitate a vaccine that offers comprehensive immunity against all strains of type O that are capable of inducing the disease. FMD outbreaks are capable of causing substantial economic losses. In the United Kingdom and South Korea, for instance, outbreaks caused financial losses in the billions of US dollars. As a result, Biogénesis Bagó, Argentina consistently conducts validation tests to ensure that their vaccines are effective.

Biogénesis Bagó, Argentina is presently engaged in the production of the Aftogen Oleo O1 Campos vaccine, which offers comprehensive protection against a multitude of FMD virus strains.

Vaccine adaptation to the emerging trend of FMD virus shift

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), according to Mr. Tran Anh Hoat, Deputy Director of Amavet Animal Health Company, which has imported and distributed the Aftogen Oleo O1 Campos vaccine, is the primary cause of the impediment to Vietnam's pork exports at the end of 2018 and the start of 2019. This has caused difficulties for the livestock industry.

As per Mr. Hoat, Vietnam's disease control is attributed to a multitude of factors, wherein the complacency in vaccinating livestock stands out as a particularly significant one. Livestock breeders frequently employ low-cost, untrustworthy vaccines that are deficient in sufficient protective properties, thereby perpetuating disease outbreaks.

In light of the persistent difficulty, Mr. Tran Anh Hoat disclosed that Amavet has undertaken an study and procured the Aftogen Oleo O1 Campos vaccine from Biogénesis Bagó, Argentina. Vaccine recipients in Vietnam are protected against a wide range of FMD virus strains with this product.

Mr. Do Van Loi, Deputy Director of Amavet Animal Health Company, conducted an evaluation in Vietnam to determine the efficacy of the FMD vaccine. Antigen strains in the Aftogen Oleo O1 Campos vaccine are comparable to those found in the field; these strains have passed testing at a level exceeding the 0.3 threshold set by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The efficacy of cross-protection was evaluated by conducting virus-neutralization experiments on cattle, swine, and buffalo, and all of the results surpassed the threshold of 0.3.

A comparison was made between two doses and a single dose of the Aftogen Oleo O1 Campos vaccine and both regimens demonstrated comparable levels of protection; however, the second dose produced higher concentrations of antibodies. Amavet advises organizations to administer a single dose of the vaccine during periods of moderate disease pressure and two doses during periods of high disease pressure.

Amavet monitors the efficacy of the Aftogen Oleo O1 Campos vaccine on large livestock ranches and veterinary agencies in multiple provinces through routine neutralization tests. The Elisa strain attains a protection rate of 100%, O-PanAsia 100%, O-Cathay 90%, O-Mya 98%, and O-India 2001e 97.5%, as indicated by the average results.

At present, the Aftogen vaccine containing the O1 Campos antigen strain is maintained in FMD vaccine repositories owing to its efficacy in conferring immunity against every topotype of type O. Antigen concentration of the vaccine surpasses 6PD50, and it satisfies the Diva standard, an esteemed criterion for vaccine quality. Every unit of production is subjected to rigorous testing and monitoring.

According to Facundo Romero, the Global Product Quality Director at Biogenésis Bagó, Argentina, the organization manufactures an extensive selection of FMD vaccines tailored for a wide variety of companion and livestock species.